Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Are we sick of pumpkin yet?

I think I have a few more weeks of soaking up fall in me before I am going to dive head first into Christmas! This is the best recipe to make for one last pumpkin whoorah! They are so deliciously gooey with a hint of spice and delicious creamy middle! I highly recommend making these if you are attending a potluck thanksgiving or friendsgiving! The best thing about recipe testing is that I can send Jeremy to work with all of these treats! He is constantly winning points with his co-workers! It’s so much fun being able to bake for them. Confession, I actually never try any of my baked recipes. Mainly because I am always on some sort of diet or healthy eating kick. Since the wedding though I have been allowing myself to indulge a bit more and thank goodness for that because I ate about four of these whoopie pies. Guys, they are to die for. SO delicious! You will be the hit at any party or office if you serve these!

INGREDIENTS

3cups all-purpose flour
2teaspoons ground cinnamon
1teaspoon baking powder
1teaspoon baking soda
1teaspoon salt
1teaspoon ground ginger
1/4teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2cups packed dark brown sugar
3/4cup vegetable oil
1/4cup butter, melted
2 3/4cups canned pumpkin
2eggs
1 1/2teaspoons vanilla
1recipe Maple-Brown Butter Filling

For the Maple-Brown Butter Filling:

(I recommend doubling this recipe so you have plenty of cream to fill the cookies with!)

5tablespoons butter
4ounces cream cheese, softened
1tablespoon maple syrup
1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8teaspoon salt
Dash ground cloves
3 – 3 1/2cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl stir together first seven ingredients (through cloves).
In a large bowl beat brown sugar, oil, and melted butter with a mixer on medium until combined. Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla; beat 1 minute. Add flour mixture, half at a time, beating well after each addition (batter will resemble thick cake batter).
Drop batter by tablespoons 1 1/2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes. Remove; cool on a wire rack.
Spread Maple-Brown Butter Filling on bottoms of half of the cookies, using about 2 tsp. for each cookie. Top with remaining cookies, bottom sides down; press gently to spread filling. Chill 30 minutes before serving.

For the Filling:

In a small saucepan heat butter over medium-low heat until melted. Continue heating until butter turns a light golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes.
In a medium mixing bowl beat browned butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed about 2 minutes or until fluffy. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves; beat on low speed until combined. Gradually beat in enough powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency.

NOTES: To store these, put them in the fridge for up to 3 days. You likely won’t need to store them though, everyone is going to eat them immediately!